Local perspective: The signature of God

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When we look at the heavens and all of creation, we see the signature of God upon them. The planets all line up in their orbits and spin on their axis. The earth is just far enough away from the sun to promote life, but not so far that that life would freeze. The sun comes up in the sky in a blaze of glory, and sets at night in a beautiful rose-petal fire. All the animals, plants, trees, and man himself, is comprised of elements and biological interrelationships that speak of a creator. There are those who would say that this is all a product of mere chance, and we are not here to deny them their opinions. But we, as believers, look around us and know that God is evident in all of creation.

Just as the sun comes up every day, runs across the sky, and sets at night to bring the earth its light, so Jesus Christ came to be the light to our darkness. He was born, accomplished the mission that was set before him, and went down in death to pay for our sins. And, like the sun, he rose again. Just as the sun can illuminate even the darkest recesses of the earth if given an opening, so Jesus can illuminate our hearts and minds. All we must do is give him the chance. There is no deed so bad, no person so far gone, that he cannot reach.

There is a great crowd of witnesses who have gone before us, and that now stand cheering our efforts. Do we dare disappoint them? The gospel of Jesus Christ is illumination to a darkened soul. Our task is to spread that illumination so that the world can see it, so that the world knows that there is hope and joy within that light. Let us run well the race set before us and finish the good work that God has begun in us.

In the book of Genesis it says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). We are the crowning glory of God’s creation, the ultimate expression of his image here on earth. His signature is upon us. We are his children. Should we not be loyal and trusting of his care for us? We may have hard times, bitter times and sad times. We may have times when the world seems to have turned against us. But he will take care of us. All we must do is keep running the race, keep pressing on toward the finish line, and we will one day be able to rejoice in his presence. And everyone will see and understand his signature upon our lives.

Alan Morse has been pastor of First Baptist Church of South Lake Tahoe for 18 years.